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SEARCHThe sheriff said Deputy Michael Hartwick had blocked two inside southbound lanes of the highway and was standing on the shoulder when he was struck by the front-loader, which was traveling about 20 mph.
Pinellas County Sheriff's Deputy Michael Hartwick was standing outside his cruiser around midnight when he was hit by a front-loader. (Photo: Pinellas County SO/Facebook)
A Pinellas County, FL, sheriff’s deputy was killed early Friday morning when he was hit by a front-loader while directing traffic.
Deputy Michael Hartwick was standing outside his cruiser around midnight when he was hit and killed, Pinellas County Sheriff Bob Gualtieri told Fox 13 .
The sheriff said Hartwick had blocked two inside southbound lanes of the highway and was standing on the shoulder when he was struck by the front-loader, which was traveling about 20 mph. The deputy was killed instantly by the impact, according to investigators.
Gualtieri said the suspect continued driving for about a mile before stopping in a parking lot, where he told a co-worker he had hit a deputy and was going to flee the scene.
The sheriff's office said Hartwick's mother and two sons had been notified of his death while on duty. He was a 19-year veteran of the agency.
The suspect, Victor Vazquez-Real was captured Friday morning.
